Live Free Learn Free Blog » 2005 » March <title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/wp-content/themes/thirteen/style.css" type="text/css" media="screen" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS 2.0" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/feed/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="text/xml" title="RSS .92" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/feed/rss/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Atom 0.3" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/feed/atom/" /> <link rel="pingback" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/xmlrpc.php" /> <style type="text/css"> </style> <link rel='archives' title='August 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/08/' /> <link rel='archives' title='July 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/07/' /> <link rel='archives' title='June 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/06/' /> <link rel='archives' title='April 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/04/' /> <link rel='archives' title='March 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/03/' /> <link rel='archives' title='January 2007' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2007/01/' /> <link rel='archives' title='December 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/12/' /> <link rel='archives' title='November 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/11/' /> <link rel='archives' title='October 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/10/' /> <link rel='archives' title='September 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/09/' /> <link rel='archives' title='August 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/08/' /> <link rel='archives' title='July 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/07/' /> <link rel='archives' title='June 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/06/' /> <link rel='archives' title='May 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/05/' /> <link rel='archives' title='April 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/04/' /> <link rel='archives' title='March 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/03/' /> <link rel='archives' title='February 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/02/' /> <link rel='archives' title='January 2006' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2006/01/' /> <link rel='archives' title='December 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/12/' /> <link rel='archives' title='November 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/11/' /> <link rel='archives' title='October 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/10/' /> <link rel='archives' title='September 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/09/' /> <link rel='archives' title='August 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/08/' /> <link rel='archives' title='July 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/07/' /> <link rel='archives' title='June 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/06/' /> <link rel='archives' title='May 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/05/' /> <link rel='archives' title='April 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/04/' /> <link rel='archives' title='March 2005' href='http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/' /> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/xmlrpc.php?rsd" /> </head> <body> <div id="headwrapper"> <div id="header"> <h1 id="title"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog">Live Free Learn Free Blog</a></h1> </div> </div> <div id="wrapper"> <div id="content"> <div class="post" id="post-17"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/31/freecycle-and-unschoolish-musings/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Freecycle and Unschoolish Musings">Freecycle and Unschoolish Musings</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> March 31st, 2005 at 1:38 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p>Austin’s <a href="http://www.freecycle.org/">Freecycle</a> network has almost 10,000 members, so it’s no wonder I’ve never been able to reply to offers quickly enough to get them. Today, however, was different. As fate or luck would have it, I checked the site at just the right moment, and Kenzie is now the happy owner of a shoe box filled with hundreds of superhero trading cards from the 1990s. He’s gotten comfy in the bed and is reading through as many as he can before sleep overtakes him. There are hero cards, villain cards, story cards, team cards, scene cards - you name it, both Marvel and DC. </p> <p>It occurred to me a few hours ago that if I were keeping track of his academic accomplishments, I’d be happy (and a bit smug, perhaps) about all the reading that’s going on. However, sometime last year, I stopped worrying so much about the way Kenzie’s life translates into educationese. When journaling, I finally quit noting a school subject next to every project or undertaking or play session or book read. Tonight, I realized how freeing it is not to have to concern myself with whether he’s done something science-related for the day, or whether he’s been asking fewer math questions recently. We just live. And when I find something that I know will interest him (like these cards), I do what I can to get it. We play board games, not because they’re educational, but because they’re fun. We search for books at the library based on what he wants to know and thinks he will enjoy. There is no more pressure on Kenzie to learn than there is on me. </p> <p>Anyway, he’s digging through the shoe box, exclaiming every few minutes or so, asking his father who this hero is and who that villain fought. He’s categorizing. He’s deciding on his favorites. He’s enjoying himself. <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/31/freecycle-and-unschoolish-musings/#respond" title="Comment on Freecycle and Unschoolish Musings">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-16"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/28/driving-by-grandma-chapmans/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Driving by Grandma Chapman’s">Driving by Grandma Chapman’s</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> March 28th, 2005 at 1:16 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/musings/" title="View all posts in Musings" rel="category tag">Musings</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div />While visiting my maternal grandmother over the holiday weekend, we drove past my great-grandmother’s old home. As a child, I spent many days tromping around the East Texas pines, searching for petrified wood, riding the cow, and avoiding the outhouse at all costs. There’s something magical about natural places, at least to a city girl, and I couldn’t get enough of the smell of sweetgrass and the sudden summer rains.</p> <p>A few years ago, I decided Kenzie (and I) needed to live in a wild place. I entertained dreams of living in Grandma Chapman’s house, growing our food, canning, milking the family cow, gathering eggs from our laying hens, drinking iced tea on the porch, and generally living off the land. I pored over homesteading books, gardening books, canning books, and country living books. I scoured the Internet for information on East Texas soil conditions. I researched the pros and cons of living off the grid. I began keeping my eyes open at thrift shops for items that might be useful. I dreamed of Grandma Chapman’s house, trying to remember each detail: how the kitchen was arranged, the size of the bedrooms, the area that would be my vegetable garden, whether or not the front porch could support a swing. I made lists upon lists. I was ready.</p> <p>There were a few problems, though. The house was (and is) owned by my great-aunt and -uncle who who never made necessary repairs and rented it out to people who had no reason to want to keep it up. Because of this, the house was in shambles. Paint was peeling, wood was rotting, the barn and chicken coop were falling in on themselves….</p> <p>Without a lot of cash, it would be difficult to rebuild. Also, a disturbing crime had taken place at the house while it was rented to several meth addicts. Because of this, the well where I often played as a child had been filled-in.</p> <p>Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t think twice about this house. Who in her right mind would want to live there? But this was Grandma Chapman’s home. This was a place that held so many memories for me - the canopy of tree branches over the road, the amazing thunderstorms, the wild spinach that grew at the end of the driveway. This was my most special place, and I wanted my son to be able to experience the things I experienced.</p> <p>Of course, my memories and experiences could never be his, but I felt Kenzie was missing out on something crucial. Perhaps he was. Perhaps he is.</p> <p>I decided we couldn’t live there.</p> <p>Do I sometimes regret the decision? Yeah. There are days when we are too involved in things that don’t seem real. Some days are filled with computers and fast food and traffic jams. We find ourselves wanting every new plastic thing we see. We have to google the weather to find out what the day is like. It’s not always like this. It’s not even usually like this. But, even a day or two without playing in the grass, or watching things grow (even if it’s only weeds in the yard), or looking at the stars can take its toll.</p> <p>Driving slowly by the house this weekend reminded me of the reasons we cannot live there - at least not yet. It also made me long to be able to live there more than I ever have before. Maybe one day, after saving up for a while, I’ll consider homesteading at my great-grandmother’s again. Until then, we can work with what we’ve got - a big yard, lots of weeds to watch, Grandma Chapman’s old iron bedstead, and lots of my childhood memories.</p> <p><img border="0" alt="Raking" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/raking.jpg" /></p> <p>At Grandma Chapman’s house</p> <div /> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/28/driving-by-grandma-chapmans/#respond" title="Comment on Driving by Grandma Chapman's">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-15"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/25/why-we-unschool/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Why we unschool">Why we unschool</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> March 25th, 2005 at 2:02 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p>Came upon this <a href="http://en.kraetzae.de/family/edhelp">website</a> today. </p> <p>If you’re like me, you might have a difficult time getting through it, so be prepared.</p> <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/25/why-we-unschool/#respond" title="Comment on Why we unschool">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-14"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/24/my-neighbor-totoro/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to My Neighbor Totoro">My Neighbor Totoro</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> March 24th, 2005 at 1:05 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p>We watched <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096283/">My Neighbor Totoro</a> again today. Because we own the DVD, we watch it every few months, or so. The storyline is imaginative, but the children are very realistic, and the movie doesn’t shy away from the characters’ problems or fears. The children are portrayed honestly, and are kind with one another without being saccharine. Because they are (amazingly) treated with respect by the adults around them, I consider it one of our "unschooling movies."</p> <p>For example, in one scene, Mei cannot bear to be without her older sister, and the elderly woman who is watching her brings her to Satsuki’s school. The school teacher allows Mei to sit in class with Satsuki, and the other children seem to adore her.</p> <p>Another movie by the same filmmaker (Hayao Miyazaki) that falls under the "unschooling movies" category is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097814/">Kiki’s Delivery Service</a> - a story about a young girl who must learn to refine her witch powers. She travels to the city (sans parents) and starts her own delivery company (flying through town on her broom!). Beautifully done, just as is My Neighbor Totoro. If your children enjoy anime, you might want to check these out. Both are available with (well done) English dubbing.</p> <p><img border="0" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/totoro.jpg" alt="Totoro" /></p> <p> Characters from My Neighbor Totoro </p> </p> <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/24/my-neighbor-totoro/#respond" title="Comment on My Neighbor Totoro">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-13"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/22/boggle-and-invented-spelling/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Boggle and Invented Spelling">Boggle and Invented Spelling</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> March 22nd, 2005 at 11:37 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p>A few years ago, we bought an old version of <a href="http://www.hasbro.com/pl/page.viewproduct/product_id.9619/dn/games/default.cfm">Boggle</a> at a garage sale for a quarter. Since then, it has remained, mostly, in its place on one of our game shelves. Today, we played for the first time. Well, we didn’t play by the rules, and not all the words we discovered could be found in a dictionary, but we played.</p> <p>Instead of competing against each other, Kenzie and I played cooperatively, taking turns, each pointing out one word per turn. There was no limit on how many letters a word had to be. The words “of” and “I” and “am” were all counted. Sometimes, the letters didn’t quite touch. Other times, we rearranged the cubes to make them spell what we wanted.</p> <p>We didn’t “time” our efforts, though Kenzie enjoyed being “Keeper of the Hourglass.” He also enjoyed vigorously shaking the plastic box.</p> <p>We didn’t write the words down; that would have slowed the fun. We just pointed to the letters as we read out words: TEM, JRY, MET, TYR, BARS. Invented spellings via Boggle. We played until he grew tired of it, and then put it back on the shelf.</p> <p>Incidentally, if you enjoy sign language, here’s a fun site to try: <a href="http://www.iwaynet.net/%7Eggwiz/boggle/bogglefs.htm">Boggle for Fingerspelling</a></p> <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/22/boggle-and-invented-spelling/#respond" title="Comment on Boggle and Invented Spelling">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-12"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/22/changing-the-guidelines/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Changing the Guidelines">Changing the Guidelines</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> March 22nd, 2005 at 12:23 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/the-magazine/" title="View all posts in The Magazine" rel="category tag">The Magazine</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div />After using the weekend to consider it, I’ve decided to make a rather significant change to the magazine’s <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/submit.htm">submission guidelines</a>. From its inception, Live Free Learn Free was meant to be a magazine for and by unschoolers. There are no recurring columnists, and we don’t search out unschooling or homeschooling “experts.” Instead, everyone is treated as an expert of her or his own family and experiences. Because of this, I felt that articles written in the second-person (using “you,” as opposed to “I” or “s/he”) would defeat the spirit of the magazine; they would be too preachy, too teachy, too you-can’t-be-trusted-to-figure-it-out-on-your-own.</p> <p>The more I think about it, though, the more I see that there is a place for gentle, helpful, second-person writing. Unschoolers understand that every person learns in unique ways. Certainly, many will take away more from the first- and third-person stories that have dominated our first four issues. But, just as certainly, many readers will benefit more from articles written with a how-to feel. There is room for both.</p> <p>I envision the magazine offering a balance between personal narratives and second-person articles, but I know that’s up to the reader-writers. I’m excited to see what happens.</p> <div /> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/22/changing-the-guidelines/#respond" title="Comment on Changing the Guidelines">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-11"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/18/our-spinning-earth/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Our Spinning Earth">Our Spinning Earth</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> March 18th, 2005 at 11:59 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p>At the park today, we were searching for a spot in the shade - one that would still be in the shade in a few hours - and we started wondering why the earth spins. I assumed it had something to do with the gravitational pull of the sun, and perhaps the earth’s own gravity. Sounds vague but possible, right?</p> <p>Nope. After we got home, Kenzie and I checked one of our favorite sites, <a href="http://www.wsu.edu/DrUniverse/Contents.html">Ask Dr. Universe</a>. Turns out, most astronomers believe the solar system started out as a nebula, or a giant spinning disk made of gas and dust particles. The dust particles began ramming into each other and clumping together, eventually forming planets. Because they were spinning in the beginning, they continued to spin due to lack of friction - nothing to slow them down or stop them from spinning.</p> <p>Now, why were the dust particles of the nebula spinning in the first place? No one knows.</p> <p>What to read more? Click <a href="http://www.wsu.edu/DrUniverse/earth5.html">here</a>.</p> <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/18/our-spinning-earth/#respond" title="Comment on Our Spinning Earth">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-10"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/17/comics-for-the-younger-crowd/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Comics for the Younger Crowd">Comics for the Younger Crowd</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> March 17th, 2005 at 6:49 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p>When Kenzie was 4 or 5, he decided he wanted comics, but he didn’t want the usual ones - the scary, gory, blatantly sexual comics with storylines obviously written for adults. He wanted kid comics, but all we could find at the bookstores and local comic shops were Scooby Doo and The Simpsons (we’re big Simpsons fans around here). It seemed, at the time, no one was making comics for kids.</p> <p>When he exhausted those, we turned to eBay. There, we discovered <a href="http://www.spiderfan.org/comics/title/spiderman_super_stories.html">Spidey Super Stories</a>. These were a collaboration between Marvel and The Electric Company in the mid-1970s. They’re adventurous stories that are less scary than the usual Spidey comics (and "Easy Reader says, ‘This comic book is easy to read!’"). Lots of fun (and very dated!). These have been some of his all-time favorite comics. </p> <p><a href="http://www.harvey.com/"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.harvey.com/">Harvey comics</a> have also become an old standby. Casper and Richie Rich have a lot to offer - years and years of silly, sweet stories - and they’re usually good for a belly laugh or two.</p> <p>We also collected The Jetsons, Disney comics, and (strangely enough) Alf. All of these can be found on eBay from time to time (often in huge lots). On lucky days, we might find a few in the used section of our local comic shop.</p> <p>And for a while, these satisfied him, but eventually, he wanted more. Where to turn? We visited a giant comic shop in Austin and discovered that there were actually comics being made for kids - very cool comics, in fact. Comics of better quality than most others on the shelves around them. Who’dve thunk?</p> <p>Our favorite is Mike Kunkel’s <a href="http://www.theastonishfactory.com/">Herobear and the Kid</a>, After his grandfather dies, a spunky boy named Tyler moves into his grandfather’s old house with his family. He’s the odd-kid-out at school, and he doesn’t hit it off with the bullies in his new class. (This comic doesn’t paint a rosy picture of school life.) However, his grandfather left him something - a small, stuffed bear and a broken pocket watch. But this isn’t just any old bear…. The drawings are simply amazing (we finally bought a Herobear poster that now hangs on our dining room wall), and the dialogue is perfect. We recommend buying the book; it’s nice to have several comics all bound together.</p> <p><img border="0" src="http://livefreelearnfree.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/herobear.jpg" alt="Herobear" /></p> <p>Herobear and the Kid<br /> ______________________________________________________</p> <p>Others that we love:</p> <p><a href="http://www.fanboyplanet.com/derek/mc-lilredstitch.php">Li’l Red Stitch</a> is a beautiful, imaginitive story set in Texas about a girl, her grandmother and Comanche Spirit.</p> <p><a href="http://www.awesomemancomics.com/">Awesome Man</a> follows a young boy who wakes up one morning as his favorite superhero, Awesome Man. The illustrations are bright and quite cute, and the amount of dialogue is perfect for those who are just beginning to read and might be a little overwhelmed by too many words on the page. A very cool comic.</p> <p><a href="http://www.zoomsacademy.com/">Zoom’s Academy</a> for the Super Gifted is like a cuter version of X-Men. Much cuter. Summer’s father is a bigwig at this school for Superheroes, and everyone expects Summer to follow in his footsteps. But Summer doesn’t have any super powers… or does she?</p> <p><a href="http://www.ameliarules.com/">Amelia Rules</a> follows Amelia, a girl whose parents have recently divorced. She and her group of friends are slightly strange, often goofy, but always very realistic. There’s even a Superhero club. Lots of fun!</p> <p><a href="http://www.toohipgottagographics.com/WebComics/GrowingUpEnchanted.html">Growing Up Enchanted</a> is a series that explores the life of a young girl with magical powers in the land of Anywhere. Lots of knights, dragons, trolls, etc.</p> <p><a href="http://www.artbaltazar.com/patrickcomics">Patrick the Wolf Boy</a> is a great way to introduce a young kid to comics. Simple, cute, and not overly wordy, Patrick the Wolf Boy is always fun.</p> <p><a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=2828">Gus Beezer</a> is a series of comics by Marvel starring Gus, a comics loving kid. There are issues about Wolverine, The Hulk and Spiderman, and in each, Gus’s imagination is superb. What would it be like to be The Hulk’s neighbor? What if your little sister was a potential X-Man? A great read for adults, too.<br /> ______________________________________________________</p> <p>Recently, Marvel, DC and others have taken up the kids’ market, again, and it’s no longer so difficult to find comics for the under-teen crowd. There are kid versions of Teen Titans, Fantastic Four, etc., mostly because of the poularity of superhero movies and cartoons. I don’t think they’re the best quality, but for a kid who likes superheroes, they’re a dream come true.</p> <p>And don’t worry too much about the condition of the comics you find. When shopping on eBay, you can get some great comics cheap, simply because they’ve been read. Buy an armful and get your kiddo a comic box (available at comic stores). They’re easier to store that way. If you do have a child who likes to keep things neat and organized, pick up some plastic covers and cardboard backings. </p> <p>But who cares if the kids keep them in mint condition? Comics were meant to be read.</p> <p>Have fun! </p> </p> <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/17/comics-for-the-younger-crowd/#respond" title="Comment on Comics for the Younger Crowd">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-9"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/17/american-homeschool-association/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to American Homeschool Association">American Homeschool Association</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> March 17th, 2005 at 12:12 am (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p>The American Homeschool Association has set up a series of blogs:</p> <p><a href="http://aha.typepad.com/">AHA Weblog</a><br /> <a href="http://aha.typepad.com/">AHA Resources Guide</a><br /> <a href="http://aha.typepad.com/aha_news_blog/">AHA News Blog</a><br /> <a href="http://aha.typepad.com/weblogs_blog/">AHA Weblogs Blog</a><br /> <a href="http://aha.typepad.com/groups/">Homeschooling and Support Groups Blog</a></p> <p>From the main <a href="http://www.americanhomeschoolassociation.org/">AHA website</a>:</p> <p>“The American Homeschool Association (AHA), is a service organization sponsored in part by the publishers of Home Education Magazine. The AHA was created in 1995 to network homeschoolers on a national level.” </p> <p>I’ve added the main AHA weblog to the links section of this page, and from there, you can navigate to any of their other blogs. These blogs are relatively new and are growing quickly, so make sure to bookmark them. This is a great way for homeschoolers to stay connected and informed. </p> </p> <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/17/american-homeschool-association/#respond" title="Comment on American Homeschool Association">Comments</a> </p> </div> <div class="post" id="post-8"> <h2 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/15/jellybean-math/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Jellybean Math">Jellybean Math</a></h2> <p class="postdate"> March 15th, 2005 at 9:41 pm (<a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/category/unschooling-life/" title="View all posts in Unschooling Life" rel="category tag">Unschooling Life</a>) </p> <div class="postentry"> <div></div> <p>Kenzie’s new love: <a href="http://play.toontown.com/webHome.php">Toontown</a>, a massive, multiplayer Internet game where you get to be a cartoon in a cartoon world. He’s intrigued. Usually, he plays mini-games and defeats cogs with online buddies, but today, he’s decided to fish. Players catch fish and sell them to the pet store for jellybeans (the money of Toontown), and he’s saving up for several items for his characters - clothing, furnishings for his houses, pets, acting lessons…. Talk about a crash course in math! He has 193 jellybeans, but the clothing he wants for his toon is 250. How many more does he need? <a href="http://play.toontown.com/webHome.php"></a></p> <div></div> </div> <p class="postmeta"> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/15/jellybean-math/#respond" title="Comment on Jellybean Math">Comments</a> </p> </div> <p> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/page/2/">« Previous entries</a> · <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/page/2/"></a> <a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/2005/03/page/2/"></a> </p> </div> <div id="sidebar"> <ul> <li id="meta"> <h2>Meta</h2> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/wp-login.php">Login</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/feed/" title="Syndicate this site using RSS">Entries <abbr title="Really Simple Syndication">RSS</abbr></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/blog/comments/feed/" title="The latest comments to all posts in RSS">Comments <abbr title="Really Simple Syndication">RSS</abbr></a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="search"> <form method="get" id="searchform" action="/blog/index.php"> <p> <input type="text" value="" name="s" id="s" /> <input type="submit" id="searchsubmit" class="submit" value="Search" /> </p> </form> </li> </ul> </div> <div id="footer"> <p> <a href="http://wordpress.org" title="Powered by Wordpress, state-of-the-art semantic personal publishing platform.">Powered by Wordpress</a> · Design by <a href="http://beccary.com" title="Theme designed by Beccary">Beccary</a> and <a href="http://weblogs.us" title="Theme sponsored by Weblogs.us">Weblogs.us</a> · <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check/referer" title="This page validates as XHTML 1.0 Transitional"><abbr title="eXtensible HyperText Markup Language">XHTML</abbr></a> · <a href="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/check/referer" title="This page validates as CSS"><abbr title="Cascading Style Sheets">CSS</abbr></a> </p> </div> </div>  <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript"> var sc_project=605365; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_partition=4; var sc_security="d224bf47"; </script> <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter.js"></script><noscript><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://c5.statcounter.com/counter.php?sc_project=605365&java=0&security=d224bf47&invisible=1" alt="free stats" border="0"></a> </noscript>  </body> </html>